Spark-plug.



A. l. DINKEL.

SPARK PLUG.

m'ucmon FILED FEB. 15. 1911.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

\ 4 wWwQRA/A/ i .3 III/f1 91 d WITNESSES MUM ATTORNEYS ANDREW J. DINKEL, 0F CLARINDA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 HARRY C.

HARTMAN, OF CLABINDA, IOWA.

SPARK-PLUG.

Application filed February 16, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW J. DINKEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Clarinda, in the county of Page and Sta to of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Spark-Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

his invention relates to spark plugs for internal combustion engines, and has for ts general objects to improve the construction and operation whereby carbon or soot is prevented. from collecting on the sparking points, one of these sparking points or electrodes being a freely movable body Which is at all times maintained a constant distance from the fixed electrode for the purpose of maintaining the spark gap constant.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a fixed central electrode with a movable electrode in the form of a ring which is mounted on acircular support concentric with the sparking point of the fixed electrode.

Still another object is the provision of a cleaning device associated with the freely movable electrode element to move therewith for keeping the sparking surface thereof clean and for preventing the accumula tion of soot in the shell or body of the spark plug at a point adjacent the inner end of the porcelain bushing.

'ith such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds. the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of referellce indicate correspomling parts in all the views,

Figure l is a central vertical section of a spark plug;

Fig. 9 is a side view with a portion in section, the section being taken at right angles to the plane of the section in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections of a modified form of spark plug, one.of the sections being taken on a plane ight angles to the plape of the other section;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917. Serial No. 148,982.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 4; and i Fig. 6 is a perspective view ing device.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the metallic shell or body of the spark plug, in which is clamped in the usual manner the porcelain bushing 2 that contains the cen tral rod 3, the inner end or tip 4 of which constitutes the fixed electrode of the spark plug. The other electrode is in the form of a ring 5 which is grounded on the shell 1 and supported by a bail 6. This bail is semi-circular and has its ends formed into journals 7 disposed in alinement and engaging in bearings 8 carried by the shell or body 1, the axis of the pivots or journals being in if line which passes through the center of the rounded or hemispherical electrode tip 4. The bail is concentric with the center of the. tip 4, so that at all times of the cleanthe movable electrode willbe a constant distance from the fixed electrode, whereby the spark gap. is constant. As the bail is movable and as the electrode 5 is movable, the latter is constantly presenting a new surface to the fixed electrode and as the position of the movable electrode changes the sparking point on the fixed electrode automatically shifts. With the electrodes constructed in this manner the collection of soot or carbon on the sparking points is reduced to a minimum. I

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive the movable electrode 5 is sup ported on a fixed ring 9 which is concentric with the fixed electrode 4, the ring being in a plane above the tip of the fixed electrode, so that the sparking surface will be on the side of the fixed electrode. porting ring 9 being concentric with the fixed electrode, the spark gap between the periphei r of the movable electrode and the fixed electrode will be constant. Associated with the movable electrode 5' is a cleaning device 10 which has a pair of bifurcations 11 at its lower end so as to straddle the movable electrode and straddle the ring 9, whereby the cleaning device is movably supported. The vibration of the engine causes the movable electrode and cleaning device to work around the ring 9'in one The sup-- the advantages of the direction or the other The cleanin device at the point 1% will keep the peripiiery of the ring 5 clean. The upper end of the device 10 lies within the body 1 of the spark plug and between it and the inner end of the porcelain bushing 2, so that the movement of the cleaning device will keep soot or carbon from accunuilating at the points where the device contacts with the body or bushing. The movable electrode may be of any desired peripheral shape to insure efi'ective sparking.

jrom the foregoing description taken in Patent i 1. A spark lu including a fixed electrode, a movable e ectrode in the form of a ring, and a stl'pport on which the movable electrode is free to rotate or move laterally While being maintained a fixed distance from the fixed electrode.

2. A spark plug including a central fixed electrode, a curved support concentric with fall the electrode, and a movable electrode mounted on the supportifor lateral. and rotatable movement thereon;

3. A spark plug including a metallic shell or body, a bushing therein, a movable electrode mounted to maintains fixed length of spark gap, and a cleaning device movable With the movable electrode. 1 4. In a spark plug, the combination of a metallic body or shell, a central electrode in the shell, an insulating bushing supporting the central electrode, a metallic support grounded on the shell and having a curved portion concentric with the fixed electrode, a bodily movable electrode on the support, a cleaning device movably mounted on the support and associated with the movable electrode, said cleaning device having); a pen 'tion extending into the bodj or shell to clean the same In a spark plug, the combination of a metallic body or shell, a central electrode in the shell, an insulating bushing supporting the central elect/nude, a metallic support grtuanded on the shell and having a curved portion concentric with the fixed electrode,

a ,hodilv movable electrode on the support, and a cleaning device movably mounted on the support and associated with the movable electrode, said-cleaning device having a portion extending into the body or shell to clean the same, said cleaning device having an other portion making a cleaning engagement u ith the movable electrode.

ANDRE-W at human.

a fixed electrode, 

